ST. LOUIS, MO - Gitana Productions, Inc. is launching "Global Education Through the Arts," a new intercultural after-school arts program for youth 10 to 17, sponsored by a $15,000 grant from the Monsanto Fund. The free program will be held at the St. Louis Public Library's Carpenter Branch, 3309 South Grand Blvd., and will begin on February 20 and continue through the end of June.
"Global Education Through the Arts" is a pilot community arts project that promotes intercultural competence among economically challenged African American and new immigrant youth. The program is targeted to students living in South St. Louis city. The 16-week after-school program will involve 30 ethnically diverse youth in dance, poetry, drama and cultural diversity training to cultivate social skills, team building, cross-cultural communication and conflict resolution.
"'Global Education Through the Arts' is unique in that it focuses on both African American and immigrant youth at risk," said Cecilia Nadal, president of the board of directors of Gitana Productions. "This is a community-based response which aims at creating an authentic cross cultural synergy between diverse communities in South City. The project uses the arts to bring youth together in harmony and teach important global skills for their future success. We'll engage a broad spectrum of the community including parents, employers, educators and the faith-based community to be part of a "cross-cultural solution."
Students will keep journals of their experiences and will intern in a theatre or music performance to measure what they have learned and how well they work together with each other. Some of the students will be selected to participate on stage with professional actors in "Complacency of Silence: Darfur," an original play produced by Gitana, with nine performances at the Saint Louis University Theatre, May 23 through June 8.
"This will be an exceptional opportunity for those in the project who do particularly well," said Nadal.
Parents of the youth and local business and community leaders also will participate by forming a Multicultural Youth Advisory Council, which will be an active resource and filter for programming ideas and activities. The group of planners and stakeholders will include St. Louis Public Library-Carpenter Branch, the African Mutual Assistance Association of Missouri and Harmony of Life, a mental health organization serving immigrant youth.
Monsanto Fund has awarded a $15,000 grant to Gitana Productions to fund the youth program. There is no fee for students to participate and transportation support will be provided.
"Our 2006 Strategic Plan spoke to the development of an education project that would provide global skills to disadvantaged youth in St. Louis," said Nadal. "Thanks to the Monsanto Fund, we will receive seed money of $15,000 to pilot 𡛓lobal Education Through the Arts' with an initial group of students, using the magic of dance, drama and cultural diversity training to teach tolerance, mutual understanding and teamwork. We hope to involve new immigrant youth from Bosnia, Somalia, Vietnam and Latin America along with local African American and Caucasian youth in South St. Louis."
Gitana has a successful track record of sustained diversity outreach using the arts. Gitana events have brought Jews and Muslims together with music, helped dismiss myths about gypsies and Romanian culture through a festival and lecture, and brought Chinese, Taiwanese and African Americans together to share their cultures.
Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. Gitana is supported by the Missouri Arts Council, Regional Arts Commission and the Arts and Education Council. For more information, call Gitana Productions at 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org. |
